Jason Leta, the new head coach of the Shelter Island Bucks, answered our questions on his coaching philosophy, strategic priorities, and more, including his thoughts on visiting Shelter Island for the first time.
Due to bad weather, the game against the North Fork Ospreys was rescheduled from June 16 to June 19.
The Bucks play in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League, which features six teams of collegiate players in an eight-week regular season. Local families host players and coaches in their homes, and local businesses and service organizations chip in to provide post-game meals and other amenities.
The Bucks are still looking for one bed in June and four for July. If you’re interested in supplying a bed, room in the fridge, and access to laundry for part of the season, please get in touch with General Manager Brian Cass at 631-445-0084.
The Bucks are away facing the North Fork Ospreys on Monday, June 19, at 7 PM in Jean Cochran Park, on Peconic Lane in Peconic. The home opener is Tuesday, June 20, at 5 PM at Fiske Field, with volunteers from the Shelter Island Lions Club providing tasty BBQ options. Bring the whole family to cheer on our home team, the Shelter Island Bucks!
Here’s what Coach Leta had to say:
You played some college ball at both Ocean County College and Kean University. What position did you play? How did your playing days or college coaching influence the way you coach?
Currently, I am an assistant coach at The College of New Jersey. I am responsible for working with the catchers, and hitters, coaching first base, and recruiting. I was a first baseman during my college playing years. At Kean specifically, there was an education in the classroom and an education on the baseball field. There was a systemic organization to how things were done. I have used and modified that system and provided a framework that leads to success. Really the goals for the summer are to get these guys playing time, have them play free and confidently, provide instruction, and then send them back to their schools improved and, most importantly, healthy. The best way to improve is to simply play the game and get at-bats and innings under their belts, which will be the summer’s prime objective.
Managing a pitching staff is always an issue in the HCBL. Do you have a general philosophy on managing pitchers considering the number of games and necessary limitations on availability?
My main responsibility, especially regarding pitchers, is to return them to their program healthy. The other prime responsibility is to get them innings. This is a developmental league whose goal is to let these guys play.
The way I have been thinking about the pitching staff is to have three pitchers ready for each game:
A “STARTER” who will go the first four to five innings a game. A pitcher that I will refer to as a “BACKER” who will go the last four or five innings. Then a pitcher, I will refer to as “ON CALL” in case we have a need given the situation and circumstance. The goal will be to have three guys ready to throw a night. Of course, at times, the best plans cannot go perfectly. However, I believe this is a good starting point to build off of.
Can you talk about your approach to winning versus just having fun and enjoying summer ball for the sake of reps and getting back to the college competition?
This is a developmental league, so the main objective is to get guys at-bats and innings. The coaching staff will provide a structure and framework with regard to how things are to be done, but the main purpose is to get them game-action. The only way to get better is to perform in a game seeing live pitching and the ball off the bat.
How important is defense to the way you coach baseball?
Greatly important. Baseball is a unique game as it is a zero-sum game in which the defense controls the ball. You cannot give away outs. The key to winning is in making routine plays. A team cannot give up freebies such as walks and errors. Good programs defensively have their pitcher throw quality strikes while the defense makes the routine plays.
Have you ever been to Shelter Island before this?
No, very much looking forward to it. I am still involved with my college season, but upon completion, I would like to take a trip to the Island to see the surroundings before the summer seasons get underway.
What excites you about the prospect of spending a summer on this Island?
It is exciting to focus on one thing: playing baseball every day at a high level. Working with these student-athletes to get them better and show improvement is a big thrill. Think about how great it is to go out every night, put on a uniform, and compete. How can one not get excited about that?
